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Abstract This study was conducted to analyze feeding systems and their influences on dairy production in areas around the Greater Cairo concerning systems approach concept. The study aimed to characterizing feeding systems in terms of technical, economic and environmental efficiency through assessing farm and livestock status. A total of 81 (72 as represented and before pre-test as 9 samples) milk producers were included in the survey. The producers were selected randomly, representing small, medium and large producers due to impact of land access and number of dairy animals. The targeted districts of the survey were: Manshiat El Bakary (Giza governorate); Saft El Laban (Giza governorate) and Shalaquan (Qalioubeya governorate) representedperi-urban production systems, Elmarg (Cairo governorate); Omraneya (Giza governorate) and Dar Elsalam (Cairo governorate) represented urban production systems. A questionnaire was designed to gather data for the study of farming systems covering productive resources available at the farm; including crop production, feeding systems, livestock production (particularly for dairy buffalo and cattle), socio-economic and environmental parameters. The study involved detailed information on sources of production of arable crops, livestock, family composition, farm size and financial values included income from crop and animal production. Analytical methods were used to infer data of variable costs (inputs) and revenue (output) under prevailing conditions in the studied areas. The collected data were analyzed statistically using the general model procedure of SAS (2000). Producers around major cities rely mainly on family labor for both farm and non-farm activities. Women’s work in farm was related to dairy production activities, and may help to cultivate land or crops harvesting. 70 SUMMARY Mohammad A. El-Sorougy (2018), Ph.D., Fac. Agric., Ain Shams Univ. Multi-cropping is the systems were applied in all the study areas where producers cultivate and sow two crops or more in one year in the same plot. Green fodder were represented essentially as part of cultivated areas during winter and summer seasons, explains impact of animal production and crop rotation located under mixed farming systems. Berseem is mainly fodder crop contributed in winter season, while darawa is the most cultivated fodder crop in summer season. Vegetables were most represented as cash crops both for winter and summer seasons. According to applied cropping systems, animals fed with lower protein and energy than requirements in summer and transitional periods, meanwhile, in winter season, protein and energy intake is in higher level. The main large ruminants included in the studied farming systems were: buffalo, baladi and crossbred cow. Dairy animals accounted to 60% of large ruminants, but 33% as fattening activities. Sheep and goats were the main types of small ruminants constituted in the studied farming systems. Buffalo represented around 70% of the dairy large ruminants. Buffalo is considered the main dairy animal regarding highly production compared to local cattle. Buffalo milk is preferred by the consumers due to fat percentage; it is directly sold in local markets. Feeding costs considered the most important inputs affect profitability of livestock farming systems. Proportion of concentrates and fodder in the daily feed intake is linked with the economic feed efficiency and thus resilience ability. Non-traditional feeding systems and technical packages have to be taken into account as a role to raise feed efficiency by reaching high productive performance and reduce production cost. Three crop-livestock systems were identified due to the concepts: land access and the livestock orientation divided livestock capital into large producers with 12-13 feddans of cultivated area and 92 TLU, medium producers with 8 feddans and 10 TLU and small producers with 1-2 feddans and 5-6 TLU. A large variability of dairy systems was stated, 71 SUMMARY Mohammad A. El-Sorougy (2018), Ph.D., Fac. Agric., Ain Shams Univ. identifying two main urban dairy specialized systems oriented to dairy activities as: large producer with, in average, 21 dairy animals and small producer with 5-6 dairy animals. Typology was performed due to great significant in the selected samples to create sub-systems (groups) referring livestock production systems through estimate of productive efficiency. The classified groups were developed as two main groups of producers: land-access and landless producers. Land-access producers were classified in three systems as: large mixed crop-livestock system (group 1); small mixed crop-livestock system (group 2); micro mixed crop-livestock system (group 3). landless producers were classified into two systems: larger herder`s milk production (group 4) and small herder`s milk production (group 5). In large mixed crop-livestock system (group 1), producers combine their animal production with cultivated area in average of 3 feddans. The production of fodder gives an opportunity to decrease feed cost. The two activities (crop and animal production) create a rather high farm net income. The majority of those producers are not to receive any complementary income from external family members work outside farm. Small, micro crop-livestock systems (group 2 and 3) show farmers as mainly crop producers, but milk production is for home consumption. The extra amount of milk is for sale. Crop production constituted small area (around 1 feddan) as: cereal (maize, wheat) mainly for home consumption, fodder (berseem clover in winter and darawa in summer) for animal feeding and truck crops is for home and/or selling. Combination of crop and animal production activities located in these systems allowing producers to have positive family net income, but remaining quite small. In large herder`s milk production (group 4), income depends mainly on animal production (milk production with fattening for meat production), generates a very high cash flow. Due to intensive feed 72 SUMMARY Mohammad A. El-Sorougy (2018), Ph.D., Fac. Agric., Ain Shams Univ. strategy, producers in these production systems achieved the highest feed costs (LE /day/ head). Moreover, highest farm net income from milk production was recorded in these production systems concerning number of family members work in farm. As small herder`s milk production (group 5) own small herd (mainly dairy buffalo), the average family income showed the lowest due to high production costs, especially for livestock feed (unavailability of cultivated land) to produce fodder as well as concentrates cost. Workforce is depending mainly on the family members who may account more for the complementary revenue and the economical balance of the farm. Regarding feed efficiency, small mixed crop-livestock system (group 2) and micro mixed crop-livestock system (group 3) appear to be more efficient in their ability to valorize feed due to low intensive concentrate ration with high amount of fodder allows their animals to optimize their daily intake linked with milk production per head per season and milk production per feddan cultivated by fodder crops. Landless producers (group 4 and 5) showed the lowest feed efficiency using low amount of fodder and large amount of concentrate fed to their animals, they provide more than the theoretical requirement which represents a waste of the available nutrient. Feed economic efficiency indicates ability of producers to decrease their feed costs in terms of resisting the external variation of feed prices. As concentrates represent from 60% to 80% of the global feed cost, the proportion of fodder and concentrates within daily rations is directly linked with feed economic efficiency. Small, micro mixed crop-livestock systems (group 2 and 3) achieve better feed economic efficiency; they are less dependent on market prices variations to produce1 kg of milk. Large mixed crop-livestock system (group 1) increase their feed economic efficiency by producing fodder crops, but their intensive feeding systems is negatively impacts efficiency so as their resilience ability. Landless producers (group 4 and 5) are highly revealed to the variability of market 73 SUMMARY Mohammad A. El-Sorougy (2018), Ph.D., Fac. Agric., Ain Shams Univ. for feed prices; they achieve low feed economic efficiency due to large amount of concentrates used in their feeding strategy, and inability to cultivate fodder. The results of the study showed that the small, micro mixed croplivestock systems (group 2 and 3) attain the highest feed efficiency regarding dairy production in Urban and Peri-urban area which proves the importance of opportunity to cultivate land by fodder crops, reflecting increased in technical efficiency for such production systems. Feeding systems, which applied in these production systems, influence positively feed economic efficiency, as there is little use of concentrates thus maintaining high productive performance and as well as animal health. Improving productive performance for smallholders dairy producers in areas around the Greater Cairo can be by demonstrating supposed scenarios or technical packages (the interest in veterinary care and of vaccines to prevent from common diseases and epidemics) using simulation systems. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are recommended as essential in performing efficiency of dairy production systems as milk-sourcing projects are mostly being associated. Extension programs can help to assist in dairy marketing operations which help in raising product price as well as producers` income appropriating beneficial national return and Gross Domestic Products (GDP). |